Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Yesterday, 40-year-old Terrence Demar Smith was taken into custody, facing charges for allegedly threatening to kill his girlfriend’s roommate. Additionally, he was booked on a warrant related to a 2022 incident, where he is accused of choking and stomping on a former girlfriend.

On the night of January 24, officers from the Gainesville Police Department arrived at Gainesville Place Apartments, located at 2800 SW 35th Place, after receiving reports from a victim claiming that her roommate’s boyfriend had threatened her life and had access to a firearm.

According to the officer’s report, the victim shares the apartment with three roommates, and Smith has been residing with his girlfriend, one of the roommates, for approximately two years. The victim has repeatedly approached the leasing office, complaining about Smith’s threatening behavior and his unauthorized residency. However, the leasing staff reportedly advised her to bring these concerns to the police.

Earlier that day, the victim had visited the leasing office once again to report Smith’s presence in the apartment despite not being on the lease. Upon her return, Smith and his girlfriend allegedly confronted her, and Smith reportedly threatened, “I’m going to shoot you in the face, spit on you, and get people to beat you up.” As the victim attempted to leave, Smith allegedly warned that they would be waiting for her when she got back.

The officer reported that the victim was aware that there was a gun in Smith’s bedroom, and Smith was about 10-15 feet from his bedroom when he made the alleged threats.

Smith’s girlfriend reportedly denied that Smith made any threats toward the victim and said she owned a firearm that was kept in various locations in her bedroom and bathroom; when asked whether Smith, a convicted felon, knew she had a firearm, his girlfriend reportedly said she “didn’t know” and “would not answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’” Smith’s girlfriend also reportedly said she did not not know whether Smith’s DNA would be found on the gun.

Post Miranda, Smith reportedly denied making any threats toward the victim and said he just told her to “please keep his name out of her mouth.” He reportedly admitted to knowing that his girlfriend had a gun and said she’d had it since September 2025, but he later said he didn’t know anything about the gun.

The officer noted that Smith had been using the apartment’s address as his primary address for over two years, so it was “unlikely that [Smith] was unaware a firearm was located inside the residence.”

Smith’s girlfriend reportedly gave consent to the officer to retrieve the firearm, and a pistol was found in a drawer, next to a loaded magazine.

Smith has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and simple assault; he was also booked on a 2023 warrant for allegedly choking and stomping on a girlfriend in September 2022. He has at least eight felony convictions (one violent) and six misdemeanor convictions (two violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2014. Judge Susanne Wilson Bullard set bail at $105,000 on the new charges and $25,000 on the charge from the 2022 incident.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.